The Cry For Help
by Relaen
Summary: A Dark Elf brings a cry for help from a distant country, but should the elf be trusted? This story is now done, and yes, there is room for a sequel ^_~
1. Setting Out

"My Lord and Ladies," a guard said, quickly walking towards where Relaen, Legolas, and Liera were sword fighting. "I come bearing a message."  
  
Relaen pulled away from the duel and walked towards the guard, laughing as Liera pinned Legolas to a tree. "What message do you bear my friend?" she asked the guard.  
  
"An Elf is here to speak with you. He comes with a message but will only deliver it to one of you three." The guard explained.  
  
Relaen looked over the guard. "What are you not telling me?" she asked suspiciously.  
  
"It is a Dark Elf that comes. I do not trust him, my lady." The guard whispered.  
  
Relaen sighed. "Remember what it is my mother said: 'Trust all until they prove untrustworthy.' " Relaen put a comforting hand on the guards shoulder. "I will speak with the Dark Elf. Did he reveal a name?"  
  
The elf sighed. "If you insist, my lady. He claims his name is Ereht. He is being held in the main hall."  
  
Relaen nodded and smiled. "If it will make you more comfortable, you may join me in the hall with this Ereht."  
  
"No, my lady, thank you. I know you can defend yourself well." The guard smiled, nodding to Liera, who had just knocked Legolas to the ground. "You did after all teach her."  
  
Relaen turned and laughed before she began walking to the palace. She entered the main hall as she juggled three of her daggers. She caught them and placed them in their designated sheaths and turned to face the Dark Elf. "Hello. You must be Ereht." She said, bowing her head slightly. "I am Relaen. It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
"My greeting may not be as fair as yours, my lady. I am Ereht. I come with a message for you." Ereht replied, bowing his head slightly. He was about Legolas's height with long, black hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, his bangs long enough to cover his dark brown eyes. He had a black, hooded cloak over his dark green traveling tunic.  
  
Relaen sat and motioned for Ereht to sit in the seat across from her. "Please, have a seat. What message do you bear for me?"  
  
Ereht ignored the seat. "I prefer to stand, for I cannot be here long. I come with a message from a kingdom just north of the land known as the Shire. He is in need of your assistance. Orcs are constantly attacking his country and his manpower grows weak. He has asked that you and your brother, Legolas, assist him."  
  
Relaen leaned her head on her hand. "Can you not tell me what kingdom this is? Who is the king?"  
  
"I am not at liberty to share that information. I am to guide you there." Ereht replied.  
  
"Hmm.I will have to consider this. I do not know if I can trust such secrecy." Relaen said after thinking a moment. "I will bring this matter to my father and brother. You will have your answer in a matter of hours. Until then, rest here. My servants will treat you well. I will return." She said as she got up and left before another word could be said.  
  
Relaen reached the courtyard where Legolas and Liera were walking, arm in arm. "We have things to discuss brother. Come, we must speak with father." Relaen said, pulling Legolas's free arm towards their father's room, leaving Liera confused in the garden.  
  
Thranduil was sitting at his desk, reading over some papers when Relaen and Legolas entered the room. He smiled and looked at his two children. "What brings such a disturbance?" he asked with a smirk.  
  
Legolas pulled his arm out of his sister's grip. "Yes, why did you drag me in here?"  
  
"Why? Do you miss Liera already?" Relaen laughed. Her face then turned serious. "We have been requested to assist a kingdom north of the Shire. It is being attacked, but we are not to know the name of the country or king." She explained.  
  
"If we do not have that information, then how are we to find them so that we can help them?" Legolas asked.  
  
Relaen took a deep breath before continuing. "We are to be led.by a Dark Elf."  
  
Legolas's pleasant face turned into a scowl. "A Dark Elf? Then we do not go. I will not follow a Dark Elf only to be stabbed in the back when night falls."  
  
Thranduil sighed. "My son, an entire country can fall if you do not help. You must follow him to help."  
  
Legolas glared. "Do you just wish to send us off to our deaths?" he nearly yelled.  
  
Relaen met her brother's gaze. "If you will not help, then I will. I understand why you distrust, but that does not mean that I do. I am going to help that kingdom in any way possible."  
  
Legolas eased his cold eyes. "Then I will go to protect you." He said after a few moments.  
  
"Then I'm going too!" a voice said from the door. Everyone turned to find Liera standing in the doorway. "You are not leaving me here while you two have all the fun."  
  
"It is to dangerous Liera." Legolas said as he shook his head.  
  
"And your point is.?" she replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You say that like I've never fought. I just beat the crap out of you out there."  
  
Relaen put her hand over her mouth, to hide her laughter. Thranduil did the same. Legolas's cheeks grew red. "That's not the point."  
  
"Good, cause that means there is no point so I'm coming." Liera said with a victorious grin.  
  
Relaen couldn't hold her laughter anymore. She laughed as Legolas's cheeks grew hotter. After a few minutes, she was able to stop and began walking towards the door. "I'm glad it's settled. I will inform our guide that we will go. He wants us to go quickly, so while I speak with him, you two can pack." She said before leaving the room.  
  
Liera grinned proudly at Legolas. "I win again." She said. Legolas rolled his eyes and left the room. Liera followed.  
  
Relaen entered the main hall and found Ereht pacing the length of the great room. "I apologize for your wait. I have spoken with my brother and father. We will follow you and a friend of ours will be joining us. Liera, kin of Elrond. They are packing as we speak. We will leave at nightfall."  
  
Ereht nodded. "Very well. The trail will be long and I am sure orcs will follow. Come prepared for the worst."  
  
Relaen smiled. "Good. I've been waiting for a good fight for some time." She said. "I'll be back shortly." She said as she left to pack for herself.  
  
Ereht sat in a chair. 'What am I doing here? Why was I sent to gather these fools?' he thought to himself. Lost in his thoughts, he did not sense another elf enter the room. It was Legolas.  
  
"So you are the one to lead us." Legolas said coldly.  
  
Ereht turned, slightly startled, but refused to let it show. He stood. "I am Ereht." He said simply. "And yes, I am the one who is to lead you." He replied, matching Legolas's icy tone.  
  
Legolas stepped towards Ereht. He stopped only inches away from his face. "If you try anything then you will pay dearly for it. That is a promise, Dark Elf." He said in a threatening tone.  
  
Ereht glared at Legolas. "If I wished to harm you, White Elf, then it would have been done long ago. Do not threaten me, for your words are hollow. I was told to lead you and so I shall."  
  
"I'm glad that you two are getting along so well." Liera said as she rolled her eyes. "Each of you to your corners." She said, separating them with her arms.  
  
Relaen came in the door and rolled her eyes. She walked up and put her arm on Liera's shoulder, leaning on her. "Did they start already?" she asked.  
  
Liera stepped to the side so that Relaen was leaning on nothing. "Yeah. They were nose to nose when I came in."  
  
Relaen sighed. "If we are going to travel together then we need to at least pretend to get along. Legolas, that was stated more towards you." She said, eyeing her brother.  
  
Legolas sighed. "Fine. Neither of us kills the other. Deal. Can we go now?"  
  
"If we are all ready, we should set out." Ereht said, taking his gaze from Legolas to Relaen. He could tell that Relaen was going to be the only one he could talk to. 


	2. The First Day

"If we have to go to the Shire, why are we heading northeast?" Liera asked Relaen quietly.  
  
Relaen shrugged. "I don't know. I'll ask, just, try to keep Legolas from noticing, ok?" Liera nodded and Relaen quickened her pace to catch up with Ereht. "Ereht, we were wondering why we are heading in the opposite direction of the Shire." She said quietly, near Ereht's ear.  
  
"I told you that there was a great chance that orcs would attack. I know that some followed me to you and I do not doubt that some are following at a distance now. I do not want them to know where we are going, so we go out of the way before we go the proper way." Ereht explained, keeping his gaze forward.  
  
"I see." Relaen said. She smiled. "Not a bad idea, friend." She said before retreating to Liera to inform her of what she had discovered.  
  
Ereht shot a glance at Relaen. 'Friend? Never has one called me that.' he thought to himself as he led the group. 'Why would any even consider giving me such a title?'  
  
Relaen rejoined Liera and Legolas. "Why are we heading in the opposite direction?" Legolas asked hotly.  
  
"We have orcs on our tail and need to shake them, so we are creating a fox- trail of sorts." Relaen said in a claming voice.  
  
Legolas looked his sister in the eyes. "I do not trust him."  
  
Relaen met his gaze. "I know, but I do. I told you, you did not need to come on this mission. I will trust Ereht until he proves he cannot be trusted. He has yet to do so."  
  
Liera sighed. "Will you two stop fighting? Legolas, if you don't trust him then leave. It's a simple thing. Relaen is gonna stay here, as am I."  
  
Legolas sighed in frustration. "Fine. I'll stay, but that does not mean that I have to trust him. I trust both of your judgments, that's it."  
  
Between the arguing, reasoning, and thinking, none of the group heard the orcs that came steadily closer to them. Ereht was the first to realize how close to danger they were. He stopped and looked at the area around them, but he could hear nothing due to the arguments behind him. "Be quiet." He hissed to the three elves.  
  
"Do not tell me-" Legolas began, but was cut off by an arrow heading towards Liera. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, out of the arrow's path.  
  
"That is why I told you to be quiet." Ereht said as he pulled out a sword. "Fool." He mumbled under his breath before charging an orc that was hiding behind a tree.  
  
Relaen could now see about thirty orcs surrounding them. She pulled out her bow and began firing arrows rapidly, each hitting a target. Liera pulled out her long knives and sliced the throat of an orc that headed towards her. Legolas ran into the woods after three orcs that tried to escape.  
  
In a matter of minutes, the orcs were all on the ground, dead. The elves piled the bodies and burned them. "Is anyone hurt?" Ereht asked after they had all regrouped. Everyone shook their head. "Good. Did any of the orcs escape?"  
  
"None that we know of." Relaen replied.  
  
"Good. Then let us continue." Ereht said as he began walking west. "Hurry. We have far to go and not time to linger."  
  
Liera sheathed her knives. "He is always in a hurry isn't he?" she said as she began following the Dark Elf.  
  
"Why? Are you already tired Liera?" Relaen said in a baby tone.  
  
Liera punched her. "One, if I was tired, I would have a reason. I didn't just stand there and fire off arrows, I actually did something. Two, I am so not."  
  
Relaen laughed and caught up with Ereht. "Hey, wait up." She said as she met his pace.  
  
"Are you always this jubilant after a fight?" Ereht asked, keeping his gaze forward.  
  
"Most of the time." Relaen said with a grin. "I just wanted to tell you thanks for catching those orcs. My friend would be a shish-ca-bob if you hadn't."  
  
Ereht glanced at her before diverting his eyes again. "Why do you thank me? You have no reason to."  
  
"Yeah, I do." Relaen protested. "If you weren't paying attention, then Liera would be severely injured if not dead. She is my closest friend and I am in your debt for saving her, and none of your arguing is gonna change that." She said with a wink. "Thanks again."  
  
After Relaen left his side, Ereht rolled his eyes. "White Elves." He said. "They are always trying to be so nice."  
The group walked hours without any incidents. They stopped close to midnight. Ereht stopped in a small clearing. "We will rest here for the remainder of the night." He said.  
  
Relaen sat on the ground, leaning her back against a tree. She pulled her cloak around her for warmth. It was a cloak from Lothlorien, so it would keep her warm. Legolas and Liera leaned against a tree near her. Soon, the three of them were asleep.  
  
Relaen awoke. The sky was still dark and the stars still shining brightly. She looked around her. Legolas and Liera were still asleep. Liera was leaning her head on Legolas's shoulder. Relaen looked around the rest of the area. Ereht was not there. Relaen stood and began walking in the vicinity, looking for their guide. She found him sitting on a tree stump, looking at the stars. "Hey, is everything alright?" she asked, coming up behind him.  
  
Ereht jumped slightly. "Everything is fine. You should be resting." He said coolly.  
  
Relaen put a hand on his shoulder. "So should you." She said simply. She could feel Ereht tense under her hand and quickly removed it.  
  
"I do not need rest. I need to plan out our journey." He said. He stood and faced Relaen, looking into her eyes for the first time since their trip began.  
  
"You shouldn't be out here alone. You can plan the journey over there." Relaen said, nodding in the direction that she had just came from.  
  
"You needn't worry about me. I can take care of myself, as I have for many years." He said, turning his back on Relaen.  
  
"I have no doubt that you can, Ereht, but I also do not underestimate the orcs. They may be stupid creatures, but they have their bright moments. Besides, if you are over there than you can keep watch while you plan." She said, not fazed by Ereht's attitude.  
  
Ereht turned to face her again. "If I return will you leave me be?" he asked with a sigh.  
  
Relaen smiled. "Absolutely." She said. She stepped to the side. "Lead the way, sir Elf." She grinned.  
  
Ereht rolled his eyes and walked to the clearing. Relaen followed. Legolas and Liera were still asleep. Ereht walked to the opposite side of the clearing and leaned against a tree. Relaen returned to her previous spot. "Happy now? Now sleep." He said to Relaen.  
  
Relaen grinned proudly. "Yes, I am very happy now." She said with a small chuckle. She leaned her head against the tree and fell back to sleep.  
  
Ereht watched her fall asleep. 'I wonder why it is that she treats me as a friend while her brother treats me as an enemy.' He thought to himself as he watched her sleep peacefully. He shook his head, as if to get the thought out of it. 'It doesn't matter. She is just like every other White Elf, thinks she's better than you.'  
  
Liera was the first to wake in the morning. Ereht had dozed off sometime during the night and the others hadn't moved. She walked around the clearing, stretching her legs. Afterwards, she quickly climbed a few of the trees, speaking with them and gathering fruit for everyone to eat when they awoke.  
  
As she jumped back to the ground, Legolas awoke. "Good morning." He said with a smile. Liera tossed him an apple, but he was still somewhat asleep and it hit him on the head. "Ow." He said, rubbing where it hit.  
  
Liera laughed at him and then walked over and handed him the fruit. "Here." She said, a smile still on her face.  
  
Legolas winked at her and took the fruit from her hand He stood and took Liera's hand and kissed it gently. "Thank you." He said with a suave smile.  
  
Liera blushed slightly before pulling her hand from his and rolling her eyes. "Dork." She mumbled.  
  
Legolas laughed quietly before his eyes surveyed the surrounding area. His gaze fell on Ereht, and he narrowed his eyes. He suddenly remembered where he was and why.and who was guiding him.  
  
Ereht stirred. He could feel someone watching him. He forced his eyes open. They were met with Legolas's icy glare. Ereht matched it. Liera stepped in between the two, causing Legolas to break their eye contact. Ereht then looked around him. His eyes fell upon Relaen, who stirred slightly. As she awoke, he quickly diverted his eyes and stood.  
  
Relaen awoke, feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin. When she opened her eyes, she saw Ereht looking at her and noticed how he looked away as she met his eyes. She smiled slightly and then stood and walked over to where Liera and Legolas were standing. Liera tossed her an apple and she caught it easily. "Thanks. How long has everyone been awake?" she asked as she took a bite of it.  
  
"Not to long." Liera answered. She walked over to Ereht, who refused to join the group. "Want one? I got enough for everyone." She said, holding out one of the fruits.  
  
Ereht took it cautiously. "Thank you." He said. 'I'll never figure these elves out. One minute they hate me and the next they are being decent. It doesn't make any sense.' He thought to himself as he quietly ate the apple. 


	3. At the Base of the Mountain

The next four days went basically the same. Legolas continually tried to convince Relaen and Liera to return home because Ereht was not trustworthy. Ereht kept to himself. Relaen ignored her brother and tried to befriend the Dark Elf. Liera yelled at Legolas for being a punk-face. The girls tried their best to keep Legolas and Ereht from crossing paths, but it didn't always work. There was more than one occasion where Liera and Relaen had to get in between the two elves.  
  
At sundown on the fourth day, the group came to the base of the Misty Mountains. "We will rest here until dawn." Ereht said, leaning against a boulder.  
  
"We should continue. None of us are tired, unless you are to weak to continue." Legolas said, talking down to Ereht.  
  
Ereht began walking towards Legolas, hand on his sword. Relaen jumped in front of him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Ereht." She said in a soothing voice. "Ignore him. He just wants to get on your nerves."  
  
Ereht looked at Relaen and then returned to his previous spot. Relaen sighed and then jumped into one of the trees near the mountain's base, sitting on one of the lower boughs.  
  
Liera grabbed Legolas's arm and pulled him away from the other two. "What are you doing?" she reprimanded as she punched him.  
  
"Stating simple facts." Legolas replied, rubbing his arm where she hit him.  
  
"You are being an idiot and a jerk. You know very well that we aren't going up because orcs are all over the mountain at night." Liera scolded. "And just to tell you, when you make comments like that and know the true reasons, it just makes you look like an idiot. Like you don't know these simple little facts that everyone, even Hobbits, know." She said before walking off. Legolas watched her go before deciding to chase after her to apologize.  
  
Relaen kicked her legs as she sat in the tree. "You'll have to excuse my idiotic brother." She said. "He has...issues.with Dark Elves."  
  
"All White Elves hate Dark Elves. It is something we get used to." Ereht said, pretending that he did not care.  
  
"I don't hate Dark Elves. I don't hate you and you are a Dark Elf." Relaen said, protesting his statement.  
  
"Then you are one in a million. Most think like Legolas does, with or without reason."  
  
"If you knew the reason, then you may think differently." She said quietly.  
  
Ereht jumped up in the tree and sat next to Relaen. "Then tell me."  
  
"Long ago, when I was still a child, Legolas and our mother went out into the woods. A troop of Dark Elves over took them. They captured and beat both of them. My mother somehow convinced the elves to free Legolas, but instead of running home like he was told, he hid there in hopes of finding a way to free mom. He did not get the opportunity. Not long after he was freed, the Dark Elves killed our mother and he saw the whole thing. He spent much of his later years tracking down all of the Dark Elves that helped in the murder and killing them. He refuses to trust a Dark Elf. He wouldn't be here now if he wasn't so overprotective of me." She explained sadly, a single tear falling from her eye.  
  
Ereht looked at her and felt something he had not felt in a long time, compassion and sympathy. Before he knew what he was doing, he lifted his hand and wiped the tear from Relaen's face. When he realized what he was doing, he quickly pulled his hand away, his cheeks turning slightly red. "I am sorry for your loss." He said, trying to cover his embarrassment.  
  
Relaen smiled, glad that Ereht was finally showing some form of emotion besides anger. "It's alright. You had nothing to do with it. I miss her, but I'm glad I was raised by my father and brother. It's made me who I am today, a warrior."  
  
"Why do you not hate Dark Elves as your brother does?" Ereht asked after a moment.  
  
"Before my mother died, she taught me to look for the good in every situation and every person I meet. She taught me to trust unless my heart told me otherwise. My heart tells me that I can trust you, so I do. And I shall continue to until you break that trust, which you have not done." She explained.  
  
The two sat in silence, neither knowing what to say to the other. After some time had passed, Ereht jumped down. "Did you hear something?" he asked, his eyes searching the surrounding area.  
  
Relaen stood on the bough of the tree. "I heard something, but I see nothing." She said. She looked down at Ereht. "What about you?"  
  
Before Ereht could answer, an orc rushed towards him, a sword heading towards his chest. Ereht quickly jumped out of the way and pulled his own sword out in time for it to meet with the neck of the orc, decapitating it.  
  
Relaen reached for her bow and began firing arrows as she saw the orcs coming. After a few minutes, her arrows ran low, so she jumped from the tree and stood beside Ereht, fighting the orcs with her knife and dagger.  
  
As they fought, a horn could be heard in the distance. It was the orcs leader, calling them back. Knowing that if they chased the orcs, they would be dead in seconds, they remained and watched them flee. Relaen sighed and took a piece of cloth out of her quiver to clean her weapons. Ereht knelt and wiped his sword on the ground. Neither of them realized that a single orc remained. The orc took one shot with his bow, sending an arrow flying towards Relaen. Before she realized what had happened, she was on the ground with an arrow in her side.  
  
Ereht saw the arrow but couldn't move Relaen in time. He saw her get hit. In seconds, he was on top of the orc, slitting its throat. After he had killed it, he returned to Relaen's side. She was laying on the ground, shock and pain on her face. "I can help you, but it will hurt. Do you want me to try?" Ereht asked, placing his hands on the arrow. Relaen nodded and braced herself. Ereht pulled out the arrow, tip and all, while Relaen held back a scream.  
  
Ereht leaned over the wound. It was turning black around the edges. He cursed under his breath. "The arrow was poisoned." He said, more to himself than to his patient. He sat on the ground and placed Relaen's head in his lap. "Try not to move to much. This is going to hurt, but it will keep you alive." He whispered in her ear. She nodded her understanding.  
  
Ereht put his hands over the wound and began mumbling incomprehensible words. Relaen felt as though everything were being torn from her body. It was the worse pain she'd ever felt. She couldn't hold back her cry of pain or the tears that were gathering in her eyes. After a few long, agonizing, minutes, Ereht pulled his hands from her wound and a black dust had gathered in his hands. He let the wind carry it away before wrapping her abdomen to stop the bleeding.  
  
When he had finished, Relaen laid on her back and looked up at Ereht. "What was that?" she asked. She was shaking uncontrollably and her face was streaked with tears.  
  
He wiped the tears from her face and put his arms around her to comfort her. "It was some of my magic. I took the poison out of your system." He explained.  
Legolas and Liera had stumbled across the orc's camp and killed the main leaders. When they began to walk back to their company, they heard Relaen scream. Without a word, both of them began running towards where they had left her and Ereht earlier. Legolas was the first to reach the site and he found Relaen shaking visibly and being held by Ereht. "What did you do to her?" he demanded, kneeling down next to his sister.  
  
"An orc shot her in the side with a poisoned arrow. I extracted the poison and dressed her wound." He said quietly, not wanting to stress Relaen any more than she already was. She was finally beginning to calm and she wasn't shaking as bad.  
  
Liera came up behind them. "Is she going to be alright?" she asked, looking over the dressing on the wound.  
  
Ereht nodded, still holding Relaen, though now he appeared to be holding her more protectively than comfortingly. "She needs a fire. Due to her blood loss, she has become cold."  
  
Liera put a hand on Legolas's shoulder. "Legolas, let's go get some firewood." She said quietly. Legolas stood and walked away with Liera. "Are you ok?" she asked him after they were a distance away.  
  
Legolas held his head down, shame on his face. "I should have been there, Liera. If I had been there, then."  
  
"Then what? She still would have gotten hurt and then we wouldn't have found the orc leaders and killed them, causing the others to retreat." Liera said.  
  
"But if I had been there, then he wouldn't have been." He mumbled.  
  
Liera took his hand. "He saved her. He did not harm her. You should just be happy with the fact that she will be alright now. You don't always have to be the one to save your sister."  
  
Legolas nodded. "Yes I do. You don't understand." He said.  
  
Liera stopped and faced Legolas, looking him in the eye. "Then make me understand." She said. She grabbed his other hand. "I want to understand everything about you."  
  
Legolas took a deep breath. "Before my mom died, I promised her that I would always protect Relaen. Of course, at that time, mother thought that Relaen would become a precious little princess, not a warrior, but it was still a promise. I have always been there when she got hurt and I was always the one to dress her wounds and watch over her as she healed. It's been like that for five thousand years." He explained, shame still in his voice.  
  
"That's not totally true." Liera said. Legolas gave her a confused look. "For a few years there, Relaen was in a different world and she was taken care of by other people, myself included. This is just like that. When you couldn't be there, someone else was there."  
  
Legolas smiled. "You're good at making people feel better, you know that?" he said. He put his arms around Liera and hugged her. "Thank you." He whispered before pulling away. "C'mon, if I couldn't heal her, then I'm at least gonna make her warm." He said as he began picking up firewood. Liera smiled and began helping him.  
  
Ereht took his cloak from his back and laid it over Relaen, who was now sleeping. 'You are going crazy, Ereht. Helping a White Elf?' he thought to himself. 'You're treating them as equals!' He looked down at her and pushed a hair from her face. 'But she is different than the others. She respects me.stands up for me.' His thoughts were broken as Legolas and Liera came up the hill, each carrying an armful of wood.  
  
Legolas looked at him suspiciously as he set up the fire. "Is she asleep?" he asked.  
  
Ereht nodded. "She needs rest. Depending on how she sleeps through the night, we may need to stay here again tomorrow. She shouldn't travel until she is totally healed."  
  
Legolas nodded and leaned against a tree. Liera sat beside him and yawned. "I think we should all get some sleep. If she is well enough tomorrow, then we are going to have quite a hike before we reach a place that we can rest safely for the night." He said.  
  
Liera laid her head on Legolas's shoulder. "I think that is a great idea." She said sleepily.  
  
Legolas smiled and laid his head on hers and closed his eyes. Soon, both of them were asleep.  
  
Ereht looked up at the sky, still trying to figure out what he was doing. Half of him was disgusted by these elves and wanted to get rid of them. He looked back down at Relaen. The other half wanted to stay here, just like this. 


	4. Giggle Fest

Relaen opened her eyes and looked around her, her sight still slightly fuzzy from sleep. She could see Legolas and Liera asleep across from her. She looked up and saw Ereht sleeping peacefully. She smiled and sat up. A sharp pain shot up her side, going straight to her head. She slowly got up and stretched her legs. She walked a little way until she found a creak. She leaned down and unwrapped her side. Using the cool water, she cleaned her wound before wrapping it again. When she finished, she began walking around the area of the camp.  
  
Legolas was the first to awake in the morning. His eyes first fell on Liera, who was sleeping soundly beside him. He then looked around to find his sister, but she was nowhere in the area. He stood quickly, forgetting that Liera was leaning on him. She fell to the ground. Legolas stormed over to Ereht, who was still asleep.  
  
Ereht felt his eyes on him and woke up. "What do you want Legolas?" he asked, exasperated. He then looked down to check on Relaen, but found she was no long sleeping in his lap. He stood quickly. "Where is Relaen?" he demanded, searching the area.  
  
"I was just about to ask you the same thing. What did you do with her?" Legolas demanded.  
  
Liera got up, rubbing her head where it hit the ground. She walked over to Legolas and hit him in the back of the head. "Now you know how my head feels." She said. "If Relaen is missing, I would suggest we split up and look for her." She said, annoyance in her tone.  
  
Legolas rubbed his head and looked at her, hurt. "I'm sorry, ok? Let's look for her."  
  
Ereht nodded his agreement. "I'll head east. You two can split up however you want." He said before running to the east. He kept his eyes on the ground. She had come this way, he could tell from the tracks on the ground. In a matter of minutes he came across a creek. He cursed under his breath. She had stepped in the creek and her track was lost.  
  
"I'm going to go south. We'll meet back here in a few hours if not sooner." Liera said with a yawn. She headed in the direction she mentioned at a normal pace. She looked around casually, not really worried because she knew that Relaen could take care of herself. She saw someone walking towards her and waved. It was Relaen.  
  
"I guess that leaves me with the north." Legolas said to himself as he headed northbound. He used his keen eyesight to survey the horizon, looking for any sign of his sister. For two hours he searched and called before giving up and returning to the campsite.  
  
Legolas and Ereht both reached the campsite at the same time and found Liera and Relaen playing with some cups. "What are you two doing?" Legolas demanded.  
  
"Playin the cup game." Relaen said without skipping a beat.  
  
"Where were you this morning?" Ereht demanded.  
  
"I went for a walk. I didn't expect you guys to be awake when I came back." She replied.  
  
"Actually, if we had slept or stayed here for a few more minutes, she would have been here." Liera said, keeping the rhythm of the game.  
  
"Relaen, you know well enough that you are suppose to tell someone if you want to walk off." Legolas reprimanded, becoming annoyed that his sister was paying more attention to the game than to him.  
  
Relaen shrugged. "You all were asleep and I didn't want to wake you." She said. "I didn't think it was that big of a deal. You guys walk off all of the time."  
  
"It is different then." Ereht said. "We were not injured near death and we have never gone far or for extended periods of time."  
  
"I don't see a difference. You saved me, so my wounds wouldn't mean anything, and I knew you would be asleep for a few hours so I figured I had time." She said. She missed the cup that Liera had given to her and the two girls began laughing.  
  
"What is so funny?" Ereht demanded.  
  
"I can't believe I messed up!" Relaen said through her laughter.  
  
"Neither can I! We've played this game for years and you messed up?" Liera exclaimed.  
  
"Relaen, will you pay attention?" Legolas demanded, grabbing the two cups that the girls were using.  
  
"Hey!" Relaen and Liera said in unison, making them laugh harder.  
  
"Since you are apparently feeling well, we need to go." Ereht said, exasperated with the two girls.  
  
Relaen stood and grabbed her weapons. Liera attempted to get up but fell back down. At this time the girls were laughing so hard that they were crying and their sides hurt. Relaen stuck her hand out to Liera to help her up, but instead was pulled down by Liera. She landed on her sore side, but was to busy laughing to feel the pain.  
  
Legolas and Ereht walked over to the girls and picked them up before they began walking up the path of the mountains. Legolas and Ereht walked at a quick pace and the girls walked slower behind them, talking and laughing amongst themselves.  
  
"They are going to get all of the orcs in these mountains to come after us with that noise." Legolas said.  
  
"Are they that loud and annoying in Mirkwood?" Ereht asked, becoming annoyed.  
  
"Not all of the time, but they get their moments, like this." Legolas answered. "After a little while you learn to tune them out. Like now, I don't even hear them."  
  
"I don't know how you can't. They get louder with every step."  
  
"We should be in Rivendell by midnight today, once we get there they should calm down."  
  
"We will not!" Liera yelled to the boys.  
  
"We are rebels, rebels with out a cause! Just like that kid in that one movie!" (from an episode of the Simpsons') Relaen yelled before the two began laughing again.  
  
Ereht leaned in closer to Legolas. "This may sound idiotic to you, but, what is a 'movie'?" he asked, blushing slightly.  
  
Legolas laughed. "Don't worry, I don't know either. It's kind of a long story, but a few years back Relaen disappeared to another world and brought Liera and some others back with her. They picked up some odd behaviors and sayings. Try to ask them about it some time, they'll confuse the heck out of you."  
  
Liera snuck up on Legolas and jumped on his back. "I think your brother is talkin' about us, Relaen!" she said.  
  
Relaen came up behind Ereht and put her arm around his shoulders. "Whatever he told you, it's so not true." She said with a wink.  
  
Liera got off of Legolas and went to his side. "What did you say, by the way?"  
  
Legolas smirked. "If I tell ya, I'd have to kill ya."  
  
Liera rolled her eyes. "If you're gonna take the quotes that Relaen and I say, well, let's put it this way, you just really shouldn't."  
  
Relaen snickered and leaned closer to Ereht. "What did he say?"  
  
Ereht smiled. "It's our little secret." He said. He ducked from underneath Relaen's arm. Relaen frowned and gave him a 'puppy dog look'. "Do not look at me like that, White Elf." He said with a smirk.  
  
Liera leaned close to Legolas and whispered something in his ear. Legolas looked behind him and smirked. The two of them laughed. Relaen and Ereht gave them confused looks, which only made them laugh harder. Relaen put her arm around Legolas's neck and gave him a noogy. "What are you laughin' at big brother?"  
  
Ereht shook his head as he watched the three White Elves. 'They are all insane.' He said to himself as he walked ahead of them. He looked over his shoulder and smiled slightly. 'But they are hilarious.' 


	5. Rivendell

As Legolas had said, the group reached Rivendell just before midnight. They were met by an elf at the gate. Liera and Legolas stepped forward, for they were more known amongst these elves. Liera bowed her head. "Greetings. I am Liera, daughter of Viqi, granddaughter to Elrond the Halfelvin. With me are Legolas and Relaen Greenleaf, of Mirkwood. We humbly request to stay here the remainder of the night."  
  
The elf bowed low. "We welcome you, friends. I am Rotinom. Gladly will we house you on your journey, but I see that you have another whom you did not name." Rotinom said as he eyed Ereht suspiciously.  
  
Relaen stepped forward protectively. "He is our guide and companion. If you house the three of us, then you house him as well."  
  
Liera, Legolas, and Ereht looked at Relaen, shocked. They did not expect her to stand up for Ereht so boldly. Rotinom nodded slightly. "Of course, my lady." He moved aside. "Welcome to Rivendell. I shall show you where you may rest."  
  
The elves followed Rotinom to a round tower. Inside the tower were two rooms each with two beds. Rotinom opened the first door. "Ladies Liera and Relaen may remain here for the night." He said, bowing to the two girls. He then opened the other door. "Lord Legolas and Ereht may remain here." He said, slightly tipping his head to Legolas.  
  
"Thank you, Rotinom. We appreciate the kindness of the elves of Rivendell." Liera said she then entered her room, followed by Relaen.  
  
"Thank you for your kindness. We will be leaving in the morning." Legolas said to the elf.  
  
"You are most welcome to stay as long as you wish, my lord." Rotinom said respectfully. He then left.  
  
Legolas and Ereht entered their room. Ereht laid on one of the beds, but he could not sleep. He got up and began walking around the room. "What are you doing?" Legolas asked as he sat on the other bed.  
  
Ereht shrugged. "I cannot seem to sleep, so I was hoping that pacing the room would make me tired. I doubt it will work though."  
  
Legolas laughed. "You seem tense and nervous. Calm down, we are safe here. Nothing will get past the guards at the gate without us knowing about it. In a matter of days, we will reach the Shire and then the kingdom. Stop worrying yourself." He said, trying to ease the elf's nerves.  
  
Ereht sat on his bed, facing Legolas. "I am not worried for fear that someone will come in to harm us, I do not fear death. I don't know why I'm nervous." He confessed.  
  
Legolas saw Ereht glance at the door to the room. "Are you perhaps worried about my sister, seeing as how this is the first night on our trek that you have not been able to see her at night."  
  
Ereht felt his ears turn red, as did his cheeks. "No, I do not worry about Relaen. She can take care of herself, plus Liera is in there." He said, stuttering slightly.  
  
"Would it make you feel better if we spoke with them once more before we rest?" Legolas asked, for he too, felt uneasy about the girls being away from them. Ereht swallowed the lump in his throat and then nodded.  
Liera laid on one of the beds in the room and Relaen sat on the other, looking out the open window in to Rivendell. "It kinda sucks that we have to leave here so quickly." She said quietly. "I wonder if they still have the extravagant feasts at sundown and the time for long tales afterwards."  
  
Liera got up and sat next to Relaen on the bed. "Well, maybe we can talk to the guys. They may want to stay here longer too." She said with a shrug. "It wouldn't kill us to ask."  
  
Relaen laughed. "I don't know, Ereht is in a hurry, so it just may." Liera laughed at the comment. Relaen stood and walked over to the window. "Rivendell looks so.sad.depressing even. It's like a shadow of sorrow has fallen over it since the elves went to the West." She said solemnly.  
  
Liera laid down on the bed. "Do you know what I miss right now?" she asked, staring blankly at the wall.  
  
Relaen grinned. She could guess what was coming next. She turned and faced her friend. "What?"  
  
"My video games.and the internet.and T.V..Who's Line would be on right now. Not to mention Yu Yu Hakusho. I miss Link© too." Liera answered, a smile spreading across her face.  
  
Relaen laughed. "Yeah, right now would be a good time to play Sonic Adventure 2©. Or maybe even one of the Legacy of Kain© games.ooh, or Devil May Cry©!"  
  
Liera laughed. "Heck, even friggin Guilty Gear© or the Bouncer© would be good right now!" The two girls laughed, but their laugher was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Five bucks says it's the guys."  
  
Relaen laughed. "Yeah, cause we all know that that money is good here." She said with a roll of her eyes. "Plus, I wouldn't bet cause I know you're right. Who else would knock on our door right now?" she reasoned. She then walked over to the door and opened it, finding Legolas and Ereht standing in the doorway.  
  
Liera jumped from the bed and casually walked over to the door. "What are you two doing here?" she asked.  
  
Legolas cleared his throat. "We.uh.wanted.to.uh.see if you guys wanted to stay another day." Legolas stuttered. He was to prideful to admit the real reason they were outside of the girls' room. Ereht did not object, for his pride had gotten to him as well.  
  
Relaen shot a glance at Liera. "So, you guys didn't just want to.check up on us, maybe?" Liera asked suspiciously.  
  
Both of the boys' faces turned a slight red. "Of course not." Ereht said, masking his true feelings. "We know you two can handle yourselves. We just assumed to ask you now if you wanted to stay." He lied.  
  
Relaen feigned hurt. "So, you didn't care about our safety? You didn't care if we were in here, dead? I thought you cared about us!" she said before slamming the door closed. The two girls laughed and opened the door again. "Just kidding!" she grinned.  
  
Legolas and Ereht rolled their eyes at the display. "Do you want to stay or not?" Legolas demanded, annoyance in his tone.  
  
Liera nodded. "We were just talking about it actually. We would love to stay another night. We should tell Rotinom tonight so that he expects us."  
  
Legolas nodded his agreement. "Since this is a big city, we'll split up into groups of two. One of us is bound to find him." He said. He put out his hand towards Liera. "Shall we?" he asked, a sly grin on his face.  
  
Liera took his hand. "Of course." She said with a wink. The two then left to find their host.  
  
Relaen stepped out into the hallway and closed the bedroom door behind her. She smiled at Ereht. "C'mon, let's go find Rotinom." She said. Ereht returned the smile and followed Relaen out of the building.  
  
The two walked along side the river that went through the middle of the city, letting their gaze take in the wonder of the city. There were hardly any elves around, so the city had the appearance of being abandoned. Neither of the elves spoke, so silence hung thickly between them. It did not take them long to reach the city gates.  
  
"Should we go back to the rooms now?" Ereht asked, his eyes peering into the woods that lie beyond the city borders.  
  
"You can if you want, I think I am going to walk around a little more." Relaen answered as she jumped into the branches of a nearby tree.  
  
Ereht stood underneath her. "That's not walking, that's jumping." He said with a smile.  
  
Relaen stuck her head out of the boughs. "Who says you can't walk in a tree?" she said with a grin.  
  
Ereht looked up the tree. "Those branches aren't strong enough. You're going to fall." He said worriedly.  
  
Relaen smirked. "If you want me to come down, you'll have to catch me if I jump. If you won't then I'll stay up here forever.or at least until Legolas finds me, I'm sure he'll think of some way to get me down."  
  
Ereht smiled. "I would never let you fall. If you jump, I will catch you."  
  
Relaen jumped from branch to branch until one of the boughs was too weak for the light-footed elf. It snapped as soon as she put her foot on it and there were no other branches near for Relaen to grab hold of to catch herself.  
  
Ereht saw the branch break and quickly ran to where Relaen was falling. He put his arms out as Relaen fell into them. She had her eyes tightly shut, expecting to feel the hard ground, but instead felt strong arms. One of her arms reached up and went around Ereht's neck. Slowly she opened her eyes to find Ereht smiling at her. "I told you I wouldn't let you fall." He said quietly.  
  
Relaen blushed. "I'm sorry. A tree has never given out on me before." She said before yawning.  
  
"It appears your fall has made you a little tired. I'll take you back to your room, ok?" Ereht said as he headed back towards the city.  
  
Relaen nodded and put her head on his shoulder. "Thanks." She whispered before falling asleep.  
  
Ereht looked down at her. The moon was reflecting off of her pale skin and made it look as if she was glowing. 'She looks as though she belongs to the Valinor.' He thought to himself. 'As if she were one of the handmaidens of Varda herself.'  
  
"Did you guys really just come over to see if we wanted to stay another day?" Liera asked as she and Legolas walked through the city.  
  
Legolas kissed the back of her hand. "Actually, that idea popped into my head as we stood at your door." He admitted.  
  
Liera grinned. "I knew it!" she said victoriously. Legolas smiled and put his arm around her waist. "So what was the reason you guys came over?"  
  
"Oh look, there's Rotinom!" Legolas said, purposefully dodging the question. He quickly led Liera to their elvin host. "Rotinom, we wanted to talk to you."  
  
Rotinom turned to two of his guests. He bowed deeply. "What do my lady and lord ask of me?" he asked.  
  
"Does your offer of another night's stay still stand?" Legolas asked.  
  
"We would be honored by your stay!" Rotinom said happily. "Will you be joining us for the evening meal as well?"  
  
Liera nodded. "We can't wait for it." She said with a warm smile.  
  
"Then this shall be a farewell feast for your journey. Sleep well." Rotinom said. With another low bow, he left the two alone.  
  
Legolas turned to begin walking back to their rooms, but Liera slipped out of his arm and went the opposite way. "Where are you going?" Legolas asked her.  
  
"I don't want to go back yet. I want to walk around.do something." Liera explained. She began walking around the city, Legolas followed.  
  
"Is there something in particular we are doing?" he asked her as she led him from building to building.  
  
Liera shook her head. "Nope, not at all." She grinned. "I just wanted to walk around." Liera soon found her way to a painting that hung near a statue. "This is beautiful." She said in awe.  
  
"It is Isildur when he fought Sauron." Legolas said, coming up behind her and putting his hand around her waist again. He turned her towards the statue that stood behind them. "And this is where the shards of Narsil were kept before they were re-forged and became Anduil."  
  
Liera looked at it in awe. "It's beautiful. The shards of Narsil must have looked breathtaking lying here." She said quietly. She then felt her eyelids become heavy and a yawn escaped her mouth.  
  
Legolas smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Come. You need rest." He said, pulling her away from the statue.  
  
Liera shook her head in protest. "I'm fine. I want to walk some more." She said before tripping over a step.  
  
Legolas caught her easily. "C'mon, you're so tired that you are loosing your balance. If you don't come willingly I may just have to carry you to your room."  
  
Liera smirked. "I'd like to see you try." She said. Legolas picked her up without a second hesitation. "Wow.that was fast." Liera said sleepily.  
  
Legolas grinned. "Now sleep." He said quietly. Before the words were out of his mouth, Liera was asleep in his arms. He kissed her forehead. "Sleep well my Kementari." He then took her to her room where he found Ereht laying Relaen on one of the beds. "She fell asleep too?" he asked quietly as he laid Liera on her bed, pulling a blanket over her.  
  
Ereht pulled the blanket over Relaen. "Yes, not to long ago." He answered. He watched her sleep for a moment before heading for the door.  
  
Legolas followed him out and made sure the door was secured behind him. "What was that look for?" he asked Ereht playfully.  
  
Ereht gave Legolas a confused look. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"That look you gave my sister before we left the room." Legolas said, a grin on his face.  
  
Ereht laid on his bed. "You have been hanging around the girls to much Legolas. You are beginning to talk gibberish."  
  
Legolas laughed. "You know what I'm talking about and I know what that look was, but I'll let you stay in denial for a while." He said before rolling over and falling asleep.  
  
Ereht sighed. 'What was that look for? You just spent time with her alone and you had to get that last look? You are truly insane, Ereht, just like them.' He said to himself as he fell into a fitful sleep. 


	6. Getting to Know You

Ereht awoke with a start to a knock on the door. His hand instinctively went to the dagger that he kept underneath his pillow. Before anyone could answer the door, it was thrown open and Relaen and Liera came inside. Both were dressed in beautiful dresses. Liera's was purple with green vines surrounding the seams and Relaen's was a pale green with deep green vines surrounding the seams.  
  
Ereht sat up, his breath slightly taken away when he saw Relaen. He had never seen her in anything besides her hunting garb and the gown seemed to bring out her beauty even more. Relaen put her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. "What's so funny?" Ereht asked with a smile.  
  
Relaen put her hand down and walked over to him. "Do you sleep with your hair down?" she asked with a smirk.  
  
"Yes, why?" Ereht asked, a confused look on his face.  
  
"Then you must have gotten no sleep last night because your hair is making you about a foot taller." She said, still trying to hold back her laughter. Ereht jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to fix his hair. Relaen's eyes followed him. After she was sure he was out of the room, she buried her head in his pillow and laughed.  
  
Liera walked over to Legolas, who had not awoken with their knock. Knowing that he hated people watching him, she sat in a chair next to the bed and kept her eyes on him, hoping it would wake him up. It worked. Legolas began fidgeting in his bed. Finally, his eyes opened. He was looking at the floor. Slowly his eyes traveled up from the floor to the dress, from the dress to Liera's face. "Took you long enough." Liera said with a smirk on her face.  
  
"What are you doing here and why are you dressed up?" he asked, a smile on his face. He sat up and leaned closer to her. "Not that I mind you being dressed up or anything." He said with a wink.  
  
Liera rolled her eyes. "You know that the elvin women here normally dress like this day to day, so Relaen and I put on the dresses." She explained.  
  
"But you are not a normal elvin woman. You hate dresses." Legolas protested.  
  
Liera stood. "If you don't like it, then I can always change." she said.  
  
Legolas grabbed her arm and pulled her back into his arms. "I like it." He said with a smile.  
  
Ereht came out of the bathroom, his hair fixed, but not in a ponytail as he usually wore it. Relaen smiled when she saw him. He walked over to the bed and pulled out a suit of clothes that was left for him. "Are you two girls going to leave so we can change?"  
  
Relaen and Liera stood and walked out of the room. Once outside, Relaen let out a sigh. "What was that for?" Liera asked her friend.  
  
Relaen smiled. "What? Did you not see his six-pack? I mean, he is definitely a B.O.B. (bunch o' bishie)." Liera and Relaen both laughed at the acronym, knowing the meaning.  
  
"You would think so." Liera said.  
  
"What? C'mon, didn't you see him?" Relaen laughed. "I mean, serious!"  
  
Liera laughed. "I was to busy looking at your brother to notice." She said, putting her finger over her lips and looking upward, the all time favorite bishie look.  
  
Relaen laughed. "C'mon. Let's go. I want to walk around while they're getting ready." Liera nodded and followed Relaen out of the building.  
  
"What do you think they are laughing about?" Ereht asked as he changed  
  
"Who knows? They laugh at any and everything." Legolas said. "It seems that all they do all day is make jokes."  
  
Ereht strapped a dagger to the inside folds of his outfit. "They must make life pretty interesting for you." He said, walking towards the door.  
  
Legolas followed him. "You could say that." He said. The two men laughed and exited the room. They looked around the area of the door and inside the girls' room. "Where did they run off to now?" Legolas mumbled.  
  
Ereht sighed. "Are they always like this? I mean, running off and not listening and laughing?"  
  
"Only when they're together." Legolas said with a sigh. "C'mon. They probably went into the city. If we're lucky they just went for a walk and aren't getting into any trouble." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the two heard yells from the center of the city.  
  
"Oh no." they said in unison. Both of them ran out of the building to where a large crowd of elves had gathered. Ereht reached it first and forced his way to the middle of the circle where he found Relaen and Liera with their swords out facing two other elves.  
  
"What are you two doing?" Ereht demanded.  
  
The girls ignored him and focused on the two male elves that stood before them. The unknown elves lunged towards the girls, who easily blocked the move. Relaen and Liera grinned at each other. They then linked arms and swung themselves around, each kicking an elf in the stomach. The unknown elves hunched over, holding their stomachs. The girls then went behind them and kicked them in the butt, making the elves tip over, falling on their faces.  
  
Relaen and Liera grinned at each other and sheathed their swords. They then walked over to the two elves that were lying on the ground and helped them up. The elves stood and bowed to the girls. Relaen and Liera returned the bows.  
  
"We take back the words that we said and apologize." The first elf said.  
  
Relaen smiled. "It is alright. We enjoyed proving you wrong." She said with a grin. The elves laughed.  
  
The circle around the girls slowly broke up and the only ones left standing there were Legolas, Ereht, Relaen, and Liera. "What was that all about?" Legolas asked the girls.  
  
"They were trying to be all macho sayin that girls couldn't fight, especially in dresses." Liera said. She flipped her hair behind her shoulders. "We wanted to prove them wrong and we did."  
  
Rotinom walked up to the group. "That was quite a display." He said with a smile. "I actually wanted to ask something rather silly."  
  
Relaen smiled. "Trust me, with us, nothing is silly. What is it?"  
  
Rotinom blushed slightly. "Well, word has come from the halls of Thranduil that you both have lovely singing voices. We were wondering if you would grace us with your music this evening at dinner."  
  
Relaen and Liera looked at each other and shrugged. "Sure, why not. Any particular song?" Liera answered.  
  
Rotinom smiled widely. "No, nothing in particular. Thank you very much." He said. He bowed deeply and left.  
  
"What will you sing?" Ereht asked, intrigued by this new information.  
  
Relaen shrugged. "What about the Lay of Luthien?" she asked Liera.  
  
Liera nodded. "That's always a good one."  
  
"What do you guys want to do until it is time for dinner?" Legolas asked, taking Liera's arm.  
  
"I want to walk around the city more. I've never been here." Liera said.  
  
"Very well, milady. I shall take you on a tour of the city." Legolas said. "You guys want to come?" he asked Ereht and Relaen.  
  
Relaen shook her head. "I want to walk around the forest. I'll talk to you guys later." She said with a wave before she headed for the main gate.  
  
Ereht jogged to catch up to her. "I'll come with you." He said. Relaen smiled and slowed down and the two talked as they left the city.  
Liera and Legolas watched the two leave the city. Liera looked at Legolas. "Do you trust him yet?" she asked.  
  
Legolas slowly began leading her away. "I don't know. I mean, he seems just as protective of Relaen as I am, if not more, but I don't know if I can trust him in any other areas."  
  
Liera nodded. "You know she likes him."  
  
Legolas sighed. "And he likes her. Guess there isn't really anything I can do to stop it huh?" he said with a wink.  
  
Liera laughed. "I doubt it, now, are you gonna show me around this city or what?"  
  
Legolas laughed. "I am sorry, my lady, I have forgotten my task." He said with a smirk before leading her through the city.  
  
Ereht and Relaen walked out of the city gate and into the forest that surrounded Rivendell. "Where did you learn to do all of these things?" Ereht asked her as they walked along the River Anduin.  
  
"What all things?" Relaen asked with a laugh.  
  
"You fight, you are friends with everyone, and now I hear that you sing? Is there anything you don't do?"  
  
Relaen blushed. "There's lots of things I can't do." She said modestly. "What about you though? What kind of things do you do besides save girls lives?"  
  
Ereht laughed. "That's not normally in my day to day schedule."  
  
Relaen smiled. "So that just makes me special huh?" she said jokingly.  
  
Ereht smiled and took her hand. "You are special. Very special."  
  
Relaen's face turned bright red. "You didn't answer my question. What other things do you do?" she asked, trying to keep the attention off of herself.  
  
"Well, I focus on my magic and my fighting and." Ereht said as he walked with Relaen through the forest.  
They day went quickly by for all four of the elves. Legolas showed Liera every corner of the Elvin city and Ereht and Relaen walked for miles around before returning at sundown. The two couples met in the center of the city.  
  
"Did you two have fun?" Liera asked Relaen.  
  
Relaen smiled. "Yup! I'll tell you all about it while we get ready for tonight, and you have to tell me about your day as well." She said.  
  
"You girls go get ready. We'll see you both at dinner." Legolas said. Relaen and Liera waved and walked to their room. Legolas then turned to Ereht. "So what did you two do all day?" he asked, a smirk on his face.  
  
Ereht smiled. "We just talked. What about you and Liera?" he asked.  
  
"Just gave her a tour of Rivendell. It's a beautiful city and she's never been here." Legolas answered, slowly walking towards the dining hall. "C'mon, let's see if they need any help setting everything up for the feast tonight."  
  
The time went by swiftly and soon, it was time for the farewell feast. Relaen, Ereht, Legolas, and Liera sat together at the end of a grand table filled with all kinds of food and drink. After everyone was seated, Rotinom stood to address the crowd. "Good evening, friends of Rivendell. To begin our festivities this evening, we have something very special. The Ladies Liera and Relaen are going to sing for us." At this announcement, all in the hall began applauding.  
  
Liera and Relaen stood and went to the front of the grand room. In unison, the girls began to sing: "The leaves were long, the grass was green, The hemlock-umbels tall and fair,  
  
And in the glade a light was seen  
  
Of stars in shadow shimmering.  
  
Tinúviel was dancing there  
  
To music of a pipe unseen,  
  
And light of stars was in her hair,  
  
And in her raiment glimmering. There Beren came from mountains cold,  
  
And lost he wandered under leaves,  
  
And where the Elven river rolled  
  
He walked alone and sorrowing.  
  
He peered into the hemlock leaves  
  
And saw her wonder flowers of gold  
  
Upon her mantle and her sleeves,  
  
And her hair like shadow following. Enchantment healed his weary feet  
  
That over hills were doomed to roam;  
  
And forth he hastened, strong and fleet,  
  
And grasped at moonbeams glistening.  
  
She lightly fled on dancing feet,  
  
And left him alone still to roam  
  
In the silent forest listening. He heard there oft the flying sound  
  
Of feet as light as linden-leaves,  
  
Or music swelling underground,  
  
In hidden hollows quavering.  
  
Now withered lay the hemlock sheaves,  
  
And one by one with sighing sound  
  
Whispering fell the beechen leaves  
  
In wintery woodland wavering." (A/N: the song is about three pages and I didn't want to put it all in here.if you want the whole thing, I have it though ^_^) Once the girls were finished, clapping and cheering echoed in the halls. Quietly the girls took their seats across from Legolas and Ereht. "I have never heard that story sound so touching." Legolas said, kissing Liera's hand. Liera blushed. "Thanks." She said before drinking some of the wine that sat in front of her. Ereht looked at Relaen in awe. "That tale has meant nothing to me my whole life. I was taught that Luthien Tinuviel was a fool for giving up her immortal life for Beren. I think you just may have changed my mind." He said to Relaen. Relaen smiled. "Good, because Luthien Tinuviel was not a fool, but one of the brightest elves in our history, though I do not think that my voice did her justice." After the girls sang, many other songs and poems were read through the meal. It was past midnight before the dinner was finally broken up. Legolas, Ereht, Relaen, and Liera went to their rooms, barely able to keep their eyes open. As soon as they reached their rooms, they fell on their beds, unable to open their eyes until the sun was high the next day. 


	7. Amun Sul

Legolas, Ereht, Liera, and Relaen left Rivendell when the sun was high in the sky. The resumed their journey west towards the Shire. As they walked, Ereht and the other elves, especially Relaen, grew closer. Legolas even began to trust him. But as they drew closer to their goal, Ereht became quieter. By the time they reached Amun Sul, he would hardly speak and he looked as though he carried a great weight.  
  
Everyone became worried about their friend, so Legolas finally decided to try to talk to him when they reached Weather Top. Legolas pulled Ereht away from the girls to a small clearing in the forest. "Ereht, I want to be honest with you." He said once they were away from Amun Sul.  
  
Ereht looked at Legolas and smiled. "You can always be honest with me, Legolas. What troubles you?" he asked.  
  
"Actually, I was wondering what is troubling you." Legolas said. "It seems that every step we come closer to our journey's end, the quieter you become.you act as though something troubles you. Our pace has even slowed."  
  
Ereht's smile faded and his face became downcast. "I do not know what you are talking about." He said defiantly.  
  
Legolas shook his head. "Yes you do! What is bothering you so much, Ereht? You can tell me! If you won't talk to me about it, then please, talk to someone. Relaen is worried about you. Liera and I are concerned. Why won't you talk to anyone?"  
  
"Because there is nothing to talk about!" Ereht said angrily. "Relaen has no reason to worry, as you and Liera have no reason to be concerned. I am fine and that's all there is to it." He said before walking off, leaving Legolas alone in the woods.  
  
Ereht walked further into the woods, trying to escape the guiltiness that continually crept into his mind. He jumped into a tree and sat on a branch towards the middle of it. "What am I doing here?" He called out to himself, not expecting an answer.  
  
Though an answer was unexpected, it came nonetheless. "You are doing what you are told to do."  
  
Ereht looked towards the voice and found two elves sitting in the branches above his head. One had dark brown hair and green eyes and the other had black hair and yellow eyes. Both were dressed like Ereht. "What are you two doing here?" he asked, annoyance in his tone.  
  
"Making sure you are doing your job." The one with brown hair said as he jumped down to the bough that Ereht sat on.  
  
"I am, so don't worry. You can tell Enoelttil that." Ereht said firmly.  
  
The elf with black hair then jumped to the level of the others. "What are you doing with the girl? You weren't supposed to befriend the pathetic elves."  
  
Ereht took a deep breath to keep himself from 'accidentally' knocking the elves out of the tree. "I will do my job, as I always have, so leave me alone." He said. He jumped from the tree and began walking, hoping that the two wouldn't follow him.  
  
The two elves began to follow him, but stayed back when they heard someone calling for Ereht. In a matter of moments, Liera came through the trees. "Ereht! There you are." She said, walking towards Ereht.  
  
Ereht rolled his eyes. 'Can't people take a hint?' he thought. He turned around and faced Liera. "Did you need something?" he asked, trying to mask the annoyance in his voice.  
  
Liera walked up to him. "We just wanted to make sure you were alright. Legolas said you left angry, so we wanted to make sure that nothing happened to you." She explained.  
  
"I am fine." He said shortly.  
  
"Are you? I'm not as sure." She said, trying to read the elf's features.  
  
"You have nothing to be worried about. You should go and rest. We need to reach the Shire soon." He said, wearily eyeing the two elves that spoke with him earlier.  
  
"I'll go, but if you want to talk, Ereht, I'll listen, ok?" Liera said as she walked away.  
  
After making sure that she had gone, the two elves approached Ereht. Ereht saw them approaching and continued walking in the opposite direction, hoping that they would just leave. They didn't. "You had better watch yourself, brother. These White Elves may be idiots, but that doesn't mean that they don't catch on." The brunette elf said.  
  
"I never considered White Elves idiots. You did. I know these elves aren't idiots. They are clever and it won't take them long to figure everything out." Ereht said, defending the White Elves.  
  
"Why do you defend them?" the black haired elf asked, shocked at Ereht's behavior.  
  
"Because I have come to know them. They are not idiots. They are not stupid. They are smart and bright and funny.the exact opposite of what we were taught." Ereht explained.  
  
"You have been hanging around them to much, Ereht. You need a break from all of the goodness and kindness." One of them said.  
  
"Ooh, what if he is becoming a White Elf?" the brunette said. Both of them laughed.  
  
Their laughter was interrupted by the feeling of cold steel on both of their necks. Ereht was shocked to see Relaen standing behind them with her daggers on his brothers' necks, unafraid to kill them if necessary.  
  
"Ereht, call your girlfriend off of us." The black haired elf said.  
  
"Are these two causing you problems, Ereht?" Relaen asked, ignoring the pleas of the elves.  
  
Ereht looked at his brothers, contemplating telling Relaen 'no', but being around the White Elves had given him a conscience. "They are just two elves passing through. They aren't causing any problems. You can put your daggers away."  
  
Reluctantly, Relaen sheathed her daggers. "Legolas made us all something to eat. I just wanted to let you know."  
  
Ereht nodded. "Thank you. I will be there shortly." He said with a smile. Relaen nodded and left. Ereht then turned to his brothers. "You two need to go now, before I give Relaen permission to kill you."  
  
The brunette looked at his brother, trying to determine if he was telling the truth or not. "Fine, we'll leave, but you need to hurry. Enoelttil is not patient." He said after a moment. With a nod to the other elf, they left just as quickly as they had come.  
  
Ereht sighed as he slowly began walking towards the watchtower. He looked up and saw Legolas, Liera, and Relaen goofing off in front of a fire and smiled. He then looked behind him, remembering the conversation that he had just had. His thoughts were broken by someone running towards him. It was Relaen. She waved as she jogged towards him. He smiled and returned the wave.  
  
"Hey, you comin?" she asked when she reached him.  
  
Ereht nodded. "I'm on my way now." He said.  
  
Relaen smiled and took his hand. "Good. Then I'll escort you." She said with a smirk.  
  
Ereht kissed the back of her hand. "I think it will be me who escorts you, my lady." He said with a grin. The two laughed and headed towards the watch tower of Amun Sul. 


	8. The Old Forest and Tom

Ereht woke up to a cold chill blowing across the clearing that Legolas had found earlier that night for the elves to rest. He was leaning against a tree and Relaen was curled up beside him with her head resting on his chest, shivering from the wet, night air. Legolas and Liera were across from him, curled up together. It had been a week since they left Weather Top and they were now close to Hobbiton, where they would head north to their journey's end.  
  
Ereht looked up and surveyed the sky. Dark, foreboding clouds kept the stars and moon hidden. He leaned forward, unhooked his cloak and draped it over Relaen. He pushed a strand of hair from her face before falling back asleep.  
  
The next time Ereht opened his eyes, the sun was out, but was blocked by dark clouds. He woke Relaen and then stood and woke the others. Everyone yawned, each still wanting to sleep longer.  
  
"A storm will be upon us by nightfall, if now sooner. We should hurry so we can find shelter for the night." Ereht said as he began walking west.  
  
Liera sighed and began following him. "I hate it when he's right." She mumbled.  
  
Ereht heard her remark and laughed to himself. He slowed his pace for the sake of the White Elves. It took them half a day to reach the borders of the Old Forest, just outside of Hobbiton.  
  
Relaen looked at the forest and a shiver ran down her back. She edged closer to Ereht. "I do not like the feel of this place.something's not right here." She said.  
  
Liera nodded her agreement. "We need to be extrodinarilly careful." She said, her voice quiet.  
  
As they entered the forest, Relaen and Liera pulled out their swords while Ereht and Legolas put an arrow on their bows. The four elves walked cautiously, trying not to make a sound. They successfully made it to the middle of the forest before Legolas tripped over an uprooted tree root.  
  
"Smooth move, bro" Relaen said as she rolled her eyes.  
  
Liera helped Legolas up as an arrow hit the spot where his head just was. Ereht cursed under his breath as he looked around, trying to see the owner of the arrow, but he couldn't. The trees were clumped together and were blocking the view of everything, and the clouds covering the sun didn't help.  
  
"Do you guys see anything?" he asked, his eyes still searching.  
  
"It's like the trees don't want us to see our attackers." Liera mumbled.  
  
"Well, the Hobbits always said there was something odd in the forest." Legolas said, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
"Yeah, but I never took them this seriously." Relaen said quietly.  
  
Legolas let an arrow fly from his bow and a scream could be heard as it hit its target. "That make up for giving away our position?" he asked with a victorious smirk.  
  
Liera pushed him into a tree as another arrow went towards him. "No, no it doesn't." she answered.  
  
Ereht shot an arrow into the dense woods and another scream was heard. He put another arrow on the string and jumped out of the way as another arrow flew towards him.  
  
"I wish these guys would move in." Relaen mumbled.  
  
"Tell me about it." Ereht answered.  
  
"It wouldn't even be that bad if we could see." Liera replied. As the words came out of her mouth, a strange tune could be heard. It started off very quietly and slowly got louder.  
  
"Hey dol! Merry dol! Ring a dong dillo! "Ring a dong! Hop along! Fal lal the willow! "Tom Bom, jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillo!"  
  
The dark clouds overhead began to break up and the sun could be seen through the tops of the trees.  
  
"Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow, "Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow. "None has ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is the master: "His songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster."  
  
As the song echoed off of the trunks of the trees, the woods became less dense. Slowly, the forest floor could be seen, and with that, the enemies of the elves. Orcs were surrounding them. They were hanging from the trees, all of them armed with swords, axes, and arrows.  
  
As soon as they could see their foes, Liera, Legolas, Relaen, and Ereht lunged towards them, Legolas and Ereht sending their arrows and Liera and Relaen charging them with their swords.  
  
Orc after orc went down with Ereht and Legolas's arrows and the orc's poorly aimed shots were easily dodged. Relaen and Liera ran into the circle of orcs, killing them as they went, trusting in Ereht and Legolas to cover them if need be. As the fight went on, the orcs began running from the four elves. As if some great warning were put on them, all of the orcs fled the forest, heading in all directions.  
  
Relaen and Liera shrugged, to tired to chase after them, and returned to where the other two were standing. When they reached the clearing, they found that Ereht and Legolas were not alone. A short Man with red cheeks, yellow boots, and a blue feather coming from his pointed hat, stood in the middle of the area, water lilies in his arms and a large smile on his face.  
  
Liera and Ereht exchanged glances and Relaen and Legolas rolled their eyes slightly. "Do we know him?" Liera whispered to Ereht.  
  
Ereht shrugged. "Who are you?" he asked, figuring it was the only way he would get an explanation.  
  
"This is Tom Bombadil." Legolas answered.  
  
Ereht leaned over to Liera. "Who is Tom Bombadil?" he asked in a whisper.  
  
"Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow. Bright blue his jacket is and his boots are yellow." Relaen said, quoting the song that she had heard earlier. She turned to Liera and Ereht. "He is the Master of this area. He is master over all the animals and trees, over all that come here." She explained.  
  
Tom began walking out of the forest on a path that the elves had not seen before. "Come come my Elvin friends! Follow good old Tom! Come to the home of Goldberry, the water lily lady!" he sang as he skipped along the path. "Come, come my silly friends, follow Tom Bom! Follow the song of good old Tom, Tom Bombadillo!"  
  
Legolas and Relaen began following the new path, but waited for their companions to join them. "Do we have to?" Ereht asked, he was already annoyed with the little Man.  
  
"Follow the song of good old Tom, Tom Bombadillo!" Relaen and Legolas sang at the same time while laughing.  
  
Liera rolled her eyes. "I can handle weirdness and craziness, but people who are that happy? This is going to be a long day." She said before following Legolas and Relaen. Ereht reluctantly followed.  
  
They walked the path until it led to a small cottage. Standing outside the door was a tall woman. She had golden hair and fair skin. She looked as though she could be akin to the elves. When they walked up, the woman showed them into the house.  
  
"Welcome to my home. I am Goldberry. Will you be joining us for dinner?" the woman, Goldberry, asked.  
  
"I'm afraid we must hurry on our way." Liera said politely, wanting to get away from the all to happy man.  
  
"Stay the night, do not leave to soon." Tom said. "Remain here you can, to tend to your wounds."  
  
"Our wounds aren't that bad." Ereht said as he looked over everyone. He had a cut on his side from an orc attack. Legolas had a wound on his bicep from a dagger being thrown at him. Liera had a large mark on her leg from where an orc's sword hit its mark. Relaen had a large cut across her stomach from a sword. Some of wounds were still oozing blood.  
  
Goldberry laughed. "We cannot let you leave in such conditions. Please, stay for the night. You can set off early tomorrow morning."  
  
Ereht looked at the faces of his companions, each hiding the pain they were feeling, himself included, and let out a sigh of defeat. "Very well, my lady. We will remain for the night."  
  
Goldberry smiled happily. "Good. Now you must rest. We will wake you for the evening meal."  
  
She led the four to a room in the back of the house that had four mattresses on the floor. The four friends chose a mattress and fell quickly asleep. Each slept soundly and dreamlessly. When they opened their eyes, their wounds were dressed and the pain, gone.  
  
All four of them woke up at the same time. The moon was shining through a window, surrounding them. The two boys each had a crown of water lilies on their heads and the girls had crowns and necklaces of lilies. The friends stretched and exited the room. In the main room of the house, a large table was set with every kind of food known to the elves.  
  
For the rest of the evening, Relaen, Legolas, Tom Bombadil, and Goldberry talked and laughed and sang while Ereht and Liera tried to be pleasant and hide their utter annoyance for the far-to-happy couple. They stayed until dawn.  
  
"Safe journey to you all." Goldberry said as she waved. The four elves bowed and then returned to their journey, heading west to Hobbiton. 


	9. The Decision in Hobbiton

"Where are we going now?" Liera asked, happy that they left the Bombadil residence.  
  
"Well, we are in the Shire." Legolas said, shooting a glance at his sister.  
  
"And they would be mad if we didn't stop." Relaen said, a grin forming on her face.  
  
"Who would be angry? What are you two planning?" Ereht asked, dreading the answer.  
  
Relaen smiled and took Ereht's hand. "Don't worry, it's not as bad as the Bombadil place. Hobbits aren't that happy about everything."  
  
Liera smiled and jumped on Legolas's shoulders. "We are going to see the Hobbits?" she asked happily.  
  
Ereht looked at Relaen with a raised brow. "Hobbits?" he asked.  
  
Relaen grinned and nodded. "Meriadoc Brandybuck, Peregrin Took, Samwise Gamgee, along with his wife Rosie and his daughter Elanor!" Ereht rolled his eyes. Relaen laughed. "It won't be that bad."  
  
"I think I've dealt with more happy and joyful people in the past month and a half than I have in my entire life." Ereht sighed, making the other three elves laugh.  
  
Legolas put his arm around Liera's waist. "C'mon guys, if we hurry, we can get there by sundown."  
  
"Then let's go slowly." Ereht mumbled.  
  
Relaen put her arm around Ereht's shoulders. "Don't worry, it won't be to bad. Most Hobbits don't even like Elves, so it won't be to pleasant of a trip."  
  
Ereht put his arm around Relaen's waist, holding her close to him. "At least I have you to keep me sane." He said with a handsome smile.  
  
Relaen smirked. "Well, for me to keep you sane, we had better get there to drive you crazy." She pulled out of his arm and ran ahead, daring him to chase her by the look on her face.  
  
Legolas laughed as he watched his sister dodge Ereht. "Do you remember when we were like that?" he asked Liera, pulling her closer to him.  
  
Liera looked at Legolas with a raised brow. "What do you mean 'were'?" she said before pulling away from him.  
  
Legolas grabbed her hand. "I'm fast enough to catch you now." He said with a smirk.  
  
Liera pulled from his hand and jumped into the branches of the closest tree. "We'll see about that!" she said with a grin.  
  
"Do I hear the sound of elfish laughter?" a voice said through the trees. A head popped out of a bush. It had curly brown hair.  
  
Everyone except for Ereht recognized the head immediately. "Pippin!" the three yelled, running towards the Hobbit. Ereht hung back, eyeing the Hobbit suspiciously.  
  
"What are you all doing way over here?" Pippin asked, coming fully out of the brush. "Shouldn't you be in Mirkwood?"  
  
"We are on a journey near here and decided to visit you." Liera explained.  
  
"Everyone will be happy to see you.but who is that?" he asked, nodding towards Ereht.  
  
"That is Ereht. He is journeying with us." Legolas said, motioning for Ereht to join them. Hesitantly, Ereht walked over to where the rest of the group was.  
  
"So why don't you lead us to everyone, Pip?" Relaen said happily. Pippin agreed and lead the group of elves through the core of Hobbiton. As they walked, inquisitive eyes from the curious Halflings followed the group through the town. After a few minutes, they reached Bag End.  
  
Pippin knocked on the round door. Before waiting for an answer, he opened it and stepped inside. "Sam! Rosie! Merry! We have some guests!" he yelled to the others in the house.  
  
From three different rooms, three curly haired Hobbit heads popped out of the rooms. One had brown hair, like Pippin. One had dark blonde hair, and the other had red hair. The brunette ran forward to greet the elves.  
  
"Relaen, Legolas, Liera!" he exclaimed, shaking all of their hands.  
  
"It's been a long time, hasn't it Merry?" Relaen said with a grin.  
  
The other two Hobbits came forward slower. "I know you," the blonde said, indicating Legolas. "but I don't know any of the others."  
  
Legolas smiled and stepped toward the Hobbit. "Sam, I want you to meet my sister, Relaen, and our friends, Liera and Ereht."  
  
Sam stepped forward and shook hands with everyone there. He then stepped back and stood next to the red head. "I want all of you to meet my lovely wife, Rosie." He said with a smile. Rosie blushed and curtsied to all in the room.  
  
"Well aren't we just bein the worst hosts in the Shire. Please, come in and sit. Have a drink, or perhaps something to eat?" Merry said, pushing everyone into the sitting room.  
  
Everyone sat down around the fire while Sam and Rosie poured drinks for them. "Some of the best brew in the Shire, this is. Made by my Gaffer before my time." Sam said proudly.  
  
Ereht took a sip of the liquor from the cup and tried not to show his utter distaste. He leaned over to Relaen. "If this is the best in the Shire, then I'd hate to taste the worst." He whispered.  
  
Relaen elbowed him in the ribs. "Behave." She whispered back, seeing the hurt on Sam and Rosie's faces. "I'm sorry Sam, Ereht just doesn't seem to have the taste for ale."  
  
"Yes, please excuse him." Liera said, eyeing Ereht warily.  
  
Rosie stood and took the glass from Ereht. "I'm sorry you didn't like it. I'll try to find you somethin' more suitable for elfin tongues."  
  
Legolas shot a look at Ereht. "Smooth move. You've already managed to be rude to our friends." He said while Rosie was out of the room.  
  
"I didn't mean for it to be so rude. It was a joke." Ereht said with a sigh. "I'm going for a walk, please give my apologies to our hosts." He said as he left the house.  
  
The other elves sighed while they apologized profusely for their companion's behavior.  
  
In one of their rare, silent moments, Merry asked, "You're other friend, Ereht, he isn't from Mirkwood, is he?"  
  
Liera shook her head. "He's from somewhere out here actually, just north of the Shire."  
  
Pippin and Merry exchanged glances. "Really?" Pippin asked, intrigue in his voice.  
  
"Yes. Why do you ask?" Legolas queried.  
  
Pippin leaned forward. "There are strange tales comin from the north. Stories of evil elves. Dark Elves some call them. Everyone who has gone into the northern wood tells his story of dangerous encounters and such, if they ever come back."  
  
Ereht left the Hobbit Hole and walked around the empty fields, ignoring the prying eyes of the Shire. He faced north and looked over the land. It was the land he grew up in. He knew it like the back of his hand. He knew every creature that walked the land, animal and elf. He knew every nest and home to the animals and he could tell you where each of the elves were at any given moment. It was by all definitions, his home, and he longed to return.  
  
He leaned against a tree and looked in the window of Bag End. He could just see his three elfish companions in the round glass. He knew them too. He knew their strengths and weaknesses in battle and otherwise. He knew what upset them and what calmed them down. He knew who to talk to about what subjects. He could tell you exactly what they would say to almost everything. He felt safe and at home with them. He felt like he belonged.  
  
Now the question was, to which end should he lead? He could do as he set out to do and lead the other three elves to an uncertain death in the woods north of the Shire or he could tell them everything now and get it over with. If he led them north, there was no turning back. But if he told them, then he would loose both of his homes. He banged his head against the tree trunk. He had no idea what he should do, but he had to decide before the sun rose the next day. 


	10. Betrayal

"Thank you for your help." Legolas said as he shook each Hobbits' hand.  
  
"Watch the other one." Peregrin said as Legolas came to him. "He may act as though you can trust him, but I'd watch your back just in case."  
  
"Thanks for the warning." Liera said from behind. "We'll keep it in mind."  
  
"I hope that we are wrong, but watch yourself just in case." Meriadoc said to Relaen.  
  
Relaen nodded. "Don't worry about us. We'll see you on the way back." She turned to the other elves. "C'mon guys, we're almost there." She said as she began walking north.  
  
The grassy hills and meadows of the Shire soon turned into tall, dark trees with leaves and branches so thick, the sun could not touch the ground. Ereht led the group, but as he walked, his pace gradually got slower. A chill ran down Liera's spine and she inched closer to Legolas. Legolas kept his eyes and ears alert, in case the Hobbits' suspicions were true. Relaen walked behind the others. As they moved further into the woods, she began doubting Ereht more and thinking that she would much rather be a few miles south in the Hobbit Hole known as Bag End.  
  
Ereht looked at the trees that were surrounding him and sighed. They were getting close and the closer they got, the more he wanted to tell the others of the plan. To tell them to turn around and run as fast as they could. He glanced behind them and looked at each elf. He had become friends with all of them. They trusted him and he trusted them. He couldn't do this anymore.  
  
He turned and faced the elves. "You have to go back. Go now and run as fast as you can." He said, desperation showing in his eyes.  
  
"Why? What is it?" Liera asked, seeing how worried Ereht was.  
  
"I've lied to you. No kingdom is in danger. I am from here and so are my brothers. They want to kill you and I was sent to you to bring you here. Now go before they realize that you were here!" Ereht explained quickly.  
  
"It's to late, Ereht." A voice said from behind them. They all looked south and found a tall elf that looked almost exactly like Ereht. He had pale skin and black eyes. His hair was just above his shoulders and a dark brown.  
  
"Enoettil, let them be." Ereht said, his voice pleading.  
  
Enoettil walked to the closest elf and grabbed her. It was Relaen. He pulled a dagger out and put it teasingly on her neck. "Why would I let them go, brother? You have done your task and if you leave now, I will not kill you for betraying us."  
  
Ereht was shaking. Would his brother really kill her? Kill all of them? "I don't care if you kill me, just leave them alone." He said, trying to steady his voice.  
  
"Do you honestly think that after what that one did to our father that I'd let him go when he was in my grasp?" Enoelttil said, angrily indicating Legolas. "And as far as these two lovely little elves, he seems fond of them and there is nothing quite as fun as a little torture."  
  
Legolas shot a glare at Ereht before returning his attention to the elf that held a knife to his sister's throat. "What do you have against me anyways?" he asked, desperately searching his mind for a plan to get them all out of there, safe.  
  
Enoelttil pushed Relaen out of his way and straight into a tree. As she slumped to the ground, he walked towards Legolas and Liera. "You killed my father many years ago. I've decided that it is time to avenge him."  
  
"He killed father because father killed his mother!" Ereht said, trying to think of something to keep his brother from killing them until someone thought of a plan.  
  
"What are you babbling about now, Ereht?" Enoelttil asked, annoyance in his tone. He focused his attention on Ereht.  
  
"Our father and uncles killed his mother but let him go. He saw the whole thing and vowed revenge, so he killed father." Ereht explained. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Relaen was no longer at the bottom of the tree, now she was in it. He just had to keep his brother's attention long enough to help her get the others away. "If you kill them, then someone from Mirkwood is going to come here to kill you and then we are going to go kill them and the cycle will never end!"  
  
"That is where you are wrong. It will end. It will end when either they kill all of us or we kill all of them. Personally, I'm aiming for the latter." Enoelttil turned back around to face the other elves, but found that only one was still there. Legolas. "What happened? Where did they go?" he demanded, pointing his sword at Legolas in a threatening manner.  
  
Legolas looked around him as if he had no idea what the Dark Elf was commanding. "What are you talking about? I was the only one here to begin with." He said with a slight smirk.  
  
Enoelttil glared at the elf. "You are a fool. They will be caught and killed, just as you will be killed now." He said as he pulled his sword back to stab Legolas. Suddenly, he felt cool steel against his neck.  
  
"I cannot let you kill him, Enoelttil." Ereht said, tightening the dagger on his brother's neck.  
  
"You can't kill me. You couldn't even kill these pathetic White Elves. Besides, if you kill me, then our brothers will kill you." Enoelttil responded, an evil smirk on his face.  
  
"Not if they are already dead." A voice said from the foliage of the trees. Relaen and Liera jumped down, wiping blood from their daggers and swords. "You won't be getting any backup from your other brothers." Liera said, walking towards Legolas.  
  
Enoelttil glared at the two girls, who wore victorious grins on their faces. He put his sword to his side. "I do not give up easily." He said. In a quick, fluid motion, he turned his sword and jabbed it into Ereht's side.  
  
In the same quick motion, Legolas pulled an arrow out and shot it at Enoelttil, who fell the ground, dead. Once this was done, Legolas and Liera ran to Ereht and pulled the sword from his side.  
  
"You guys need to go.before.the others find out." Ereht said with difficulty.  
  
"Don't talk. You need to conserve your strength." Legolas said, examining the wound. "This cannot be healed by simple tools. It needs magic." He said. Both him and Liera turned their eyes to Relaen, who had her back turned on the scene.  
  
She felt their eyes on her and turned around. "What?" she asked, anger in her tone.  
  
"Only Nenya can keep him alive, Re." Liera said. "We have to help him."  
  
"We don't have to do anything." Relaen said coldly. "He brought us here to die, why should we let him live?"  
  
"Because he saved your life and you owe him!" Legolas said.  
  
Relaen tensed at his tone. It wasn't often that Legolas yelled and it wasn't nice when he did. "Fine, but then we leave." She said. She walked over to Ereht and began mumbling. Slowly, the wound began to mend. In about fifteen minutes, his wound was completely healed. Relaen stood and began walking south.  
  
"Where are you going?" Liera demanded.  
  
"I'm going home. I have no reason to stay here any longer." She replied without looking back.  
  
"Ereht cannot walk now. We need to stay here for a while." Legolas yelled to her.  
  
Relaen turned, her face red with anger. "After all of this you still expect him to come home with us? No. He can die here for all I care. I am not waiting for him." She turned back around and began walking, not waiting for a response.  
  
The pain of Relaen's words was evident on Ereht's face. He pushed himself to a tree and leaned against it. "You guys should go. She shouldn't be by herself the whole trip back to Mirkwood. It's to dangerous."  
  
Legolas nodded his agreement. "You kept your brother from killing me, I can't leave you here for your other brothers to kill you. I'll stay here with you until you can travel. Liera, why don't you catch up to Relaen? You two should be fine together."  
  
Liera nodded. "I'll make sure she doesn't get into to much trouble." She said with a wink. She lightly kissed Legolas and ran to catch up with her friend.  
  
Legolas' cheeks reddened slightly. "I'll.uh.build a fire. It's getting kinda cold." He stuttered.  
  
Ereht laughed slightly. His eyes went to the retreating figure of Relaen and his smile disappeared. 'I've messed up worse then I ever have.' he thought to himself as Legolas picked up fallen branches to build a fire. Once Legolas came back, he asked, "Do you think she will ever forgive me?" he asked.  
  
Legolas sighed. "I don't know. She can be pretty stubborn and you hurt her badly. The only way to find out is for you to ask."  
  
Ereht banged his head on the tree. "I was afraid of that." He said. "Can I ask you something, Legolas?" Legolas nodded. "Why were you willing to help me after I led you hear?" he asked.  
  
Legolas sat next to Ereht. "There are a few reasons, actually. One is the fact that you saved my sister. Another is that you kept your brother from killing me. Besides, deep down, I think Re is glad you are alive. She still cares and whatever she cares about, I care about."  
Liera and Relaen walked in silence. As the sun went down, Liera mustered up enough courage to break the silence. "How are you doing?" she asked.  
  
Relaen rolled her eyes. 'Is this all that we are going to talk about the entire journey home?' she asked herself. "I am fine." She replied shortly.  
  
"No you're not." Liera mumbled.  
  
Relaen shot her a glare. "Listen, if all you are going to talk about all the way to Mirkwood, then you may as well go back to Legolas and that.that.that kisama no baka, cause I don't want to hear it."  
  
"Fine, I just know that you and him were close and I wanted to make sure that you were alright! Geez.excuse me for being a friend." Liera said, feeling annoyed and hurt.  
  
Relaen sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, it's just.I don't want to think about it right now, ok? I am to pissed to think any rational or decent thoughts about nearly anything right now.I just want to get home." she said, sadness creeping into her voice.  
  
Liera nudged Relaen with her shoulder. "Everything's gonna be alright, y'know." She said.  
  
Relaen smiled slightly. "I know." She said, nudging Liera back.  
  
Liera pretended to be hurt. "Ow! I can't believe you did that! You are so mean!" she yelled while she pretended to cry.  
  
Relaen grinned. "If you are going to cry, I'll give you something to cry about." She said, hitting Liera's arm.  
  
The two girls laughed and continued their journey. 


	11. Happy Ending, New Beginnings

Being an elf, Legolas had the capability to stay awake and alert, but allow his body to rest. He didn't use this ability often, but while he was with Ereht, he found it necessary. Ereht's wound may have been healed, but he was still weak, and Relaen's attitude towards him didn't help much.  
  
The moon was high in the sky and they were still in the Shire. They hardly moved yesterday and today didn't go much faster. At this rate, it would take them two months to get back to Mirkwood, but maybe that was best. It would give Relaen some time to cool so she wouldn't kill the two of them once they returned.  
Using the same ability that Legolas has, Liera and Relaen made very few stops on their trek home. It had been two days and they were already at the top of the Misty Mountains. Liera looked over the land that lay east, where they were facing. Mirkwood could be seen clearly and the Lone Mountain stood just past it. In a few days, they would be home.  
  
Relaen looked behind them, to the west. A small pillar of smoke could barely be seen just inside the border or the Shire. She took a deep breath and wiped away a stray tear before turning east again.  
  
Liera smiled. "Don't worry. It won't be long till we're back at home with your dad and causing trouble for the guards."  
  
Relaen smiled. "I hope so." She said before walking down the mountain.  
  
It took the girls a full week to get back home to the palace. Relaen walked in and went straight to her room, not talking to anybody. Liera sat down with a very confused Thranduil and began telling the tale of their trip.  
  
"Do you think she is depressed or angry?" he asked Liera after hearing the complete story.  
  
Liera shrugged. "She is feeling betrayed. I think Ereht hurt her more than anyone else by this. It almost feels like, if he comes back, she'll kill him but if he doesn't, she'll die from heartache." At this thought, Liera met the king's eyes. "You don't think she will.do you?"  
  
Thranduil sighed. "I hope not. How far behind you do you think Legolas and Ereht are?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know. They are moving slowly. I think Ereht is dreading coming here. I want to send out one of the ravens to give a message to Legolas about how Relaen is acting. Hopefully it will encourage them to hurry." Liera answered.  
  
Thranduil nodded and stood. "Compose a letter and send out a raven. I am going to try to talk to Relaen." He said. Liera nodded and left the room as Thranduil headed towards Relaen's room.  
It had been a week and they had just reached the base of the Misty Mountains. Legolas was becoming restless. He wanted to see his father. He wanted to see his home. He wanted to see Liera. He looked over to Ereht, assuming he was asleep, since he was turned away from the fire and looked up the mountain, longing to see the treetops of Mirkwood.  
  
Ereht lay with his back to Legolas and the fire, but he didn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see the look of pain and betrayal on Relaen's face from when he first announced the trap. He could hear the cold tone in her voice. 'Why am I even going with Legolas?' He thought to himself, wiping an escaped tear from his eyes. 'I should have died with my brother.' He thought miserably.  
  
The next morning, Ereht woke up and found Legolas sitting on a rock, a letter in hand and a raven on his head. The color was slightly drawn from his face and he looked shocked. Ereht laughed at the sight before walking over and breaking Legolas of his current state. "Legolas, what is it? Are you aware that a bird is nesting in your hair?" Legolas did nothing but hand the letter to Ereht.  
  
'Legolas, This is not a fun letter to write. I need you to hurry. Relaen has locked herself in her room and won't even talk to your father! We both agree that if she isn't brought out of her little depression soon.well.we aren't sure how long elves last while depressed. Your father and I both think that if Ereht is here, it will help her. Please, come as quickly as you can, we are all worried. Love,  
  
Liera'  
  
Ereht let the letter fall from his hands. His face became paler than usual. He looked at Legolas, ignoring the comical raven that was still perched on his head. "You don't think she will really.die.do you?" he asked with difficulty.  
  
Legolas stood and got the raven off of his head and whispered to it. Once he had finished, the raven flew over the mountain. "We have to hurry." He said, looking at Ereht. "Liera is going to continue sending me updates, but we can't keep stopping. We have to walk through the night, can you do it?"  
  
Ereht nodded, a determined look on his face. "Sorry I've been dragging you down. We should have been there a while ago. Let's hurry."  
Another week passed. Relaen didn't leave her room and she wouldn't let anyone in to see her. Liera eagerly watched the horizon and kept in contact through the raven. Thranduil tried to talk to his daughter, in vane. The elves of Mirkwood spoke amongst themselves, spreading rumors and ideas as to what was going on.  
  
Legolas and Ereht came as quickly as they could. It took them four days to reach the palace. Legolas ran straight to Liera, who was in one of the trees acting as look out. He climbed up the tree and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Did you miss me?" he asked, his voice a whisper.  
  
Liera turned and smiled. " I did. Did you bring Ereht?" she asked, trying to look behind Legolas to see him.  
  
Legolas laughed. "You have a way of ruining moods, don't you?" Liera rolled her eyes. "Ereht is in the palace, speaking with father and then he will try to talk to Re."  
  
Liera rested her head on Legolas's shoulder. "Do you think she'll be alright?"  
  
Legolas tightened his arms around her and kissed her head. "I hope so. I lost my mom, I don't want to loose my sister too."  
  
Ereht knocked on the door that Thranduil had told him was Relaen's room. He waited for a few moments, but when no answer came, he opened it a crack. "Relaen?" he said, his voice cracking.  
  
"Go away." A voice said from the far corner of the room.  
  
Ereht opened the door more. The room was dark. The only light was what was escaping from the open doorway. Ereht opened it more until the light fell on what he assumed was Relaen. In the far corner of the room, a body was sitting in the corner with their knees brought up to their chest and their head down. Blonde, unkempt hair lay loosely down the elf's back. Ereht walked over and kneeled in front of the elf. "Relaen?" he asked again.  
  
Relaen lifted her head. Her normally bright blue eyes were dull and their glow gone. Her face was red, as if she had been crying. She looked at Ereht and rolled her eyes. "You are not who I wanted to see." She said as she put her head back down.  
  
"I need to talk to you, Re, please listen." He said in a pleading tone. He put a hand on Relaen's knee. "Please."  
  
Relaen lifted her head and met Ereht's eyes. "Fine. Talk." She said, keeping her voice cold.  
  
Ereht sighed. "I am sorry for everything I did. I came here knowing that I was leading you to your death, but something went horribly wrong in my plan. I began to like you guys.especially you. I mean, by the time we reached Rivendell, I felt like.I dunno.like I was where I belonged, with you."  
  
Relaen fought back her tears. "Then why did you continue to lead us to your brothers when you knew they were going to try to kill us?" she asked bitterly.  
  
"I had to choose and I was always taught that White Elves would lie to me and betray me, so I figured it would be better to betray you before you did me. It took me until Hobbiton to realize how wrong I was. By that time, I was afraid to tell you everything. I thought that if I told you, then I was afraid that you guys would never speak to me again and my brothers would disown me for not bringing Legolas. I panicked."  
  
Relaen stood and began pacing her room. "Why did you think we would blow you off like that?! We cared about you! I cared about you!" she exclaimed.  
  
Ereht put his head down, shame filling him. "I know and I don't know what else to say. I am so sorry that I betrayed you like that! I should have told you and I was an idiot! There is only one thing I am not sorry for." He said. He stood and walked to where Relaen was and took her hand. "I'm not sorry I got to know you. I'm not sorry I met you. I'm not sorry about anything involving you. I care more about you than I do anything else. Now if you still hate me, then I'll leave you and your family alone forever."  
  
Relaen looked into Ereht's eyes. "No." she said simply.  
  
Ereht put his head down sadly. "I understand. Again, I'm sorry." He said. He walked to the door and out to the woods.  
  
Relaen sat on her bed and put her head in her hands. She didn't notice another person enter. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
  
"What happened?" a comforting voice asked. It was Thranduil. He sat next to Relaen and let her lean on him.  
  
"He apologized and explained and apologized and I told him to leave." She said sadly.  
  
"Why did you tell him to leave? He apologized and meant it. Legolas and Liera have both said that they have never seen you happier than when you were with him." Her father said.  
  
"He lied to me and tried to assist in the death of my brother, your son!" Relaen said, surprised that her father was taking Ereht's side.  
  
"And he apologized and saved Legolas's life." Thranduil said in a soothing tone. "I want you happy. If the only thing that will get you out of this slump is that elf, then I want him here. I lost your mother because of his family and I don't want to loose you because of it as well."  
  
Relaen smiled and hugged her father. "Thanks dad." She said. She ran down the corridor and out to the forest. Being the clutz she is, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ran into an elf.  
  
"Sorry about that." The elf mumbled. It was Ereht. Relaen smiled and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I was acting like an idiot." She said.  
  
Ereht stood there for a moment, shocked at what was going on. He finally came to his senses and put his arms around Relaen. "You don't need to apologize. You have no reason to."  
  
Relaen smiled and pushed a stray hair out of his face. "Don't tell me that or I'll never apologize, even when I need to." She said. Before Ereht could respond, she leaned in and kissed him.  
Legolas and Liera watched all that happened from the tree. Legolas sighed. "I'm glad they made up." He said.  
  
"Yeah. It's good to see them together again." Liera agreed.  
  
"Do you remember when we were like that? Fight and then make up all the time?" Legolas asked.  
  
Liera looked him over. "Used to be? I think we still have our share of fights." She said.  
  
Legolas laughed. "No we don't, we never fight."  
  
"Yes we do."  
  
"No we don't."  
  
"Yes we do!"  
  
"No we don't!"  
  
Liera crossed her arms and walked over to Legolas. Before she could do anything, he wrapped his arms around her. "And now we make up." He said with a smirk before kissing her.  
  
Liera pulled away when she heard two horses galloping through the woods. "Those aren't our horses." She said. They looked down as Gandalf and Elrond appeared from the brush, interrupting Ereht and Relaen's 'make up' session.  
  
They jumped from the tree and greeted the two.  
  
"What brings you here, Mithrandir, Elrond?" Relaen asked, leaning her head on Ereht's shoulder.  
  
"We have good news." Gandalf said.  
  
"Yes, we found a way for you guys to visit the other world." Elrond cut in. 


End file.
